RAISE Forum Archives - Business RadioX ®

Emerging Enterprise Series Featuring Barry Etra with Keiretsu Forum

August 1, 2017 by angishields

AppZoro

Emerging Enterprise Series Featuring Barry Etra with Keiretsu Forum

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The Emerging Enterprise Series is brought to you by AppZoro and hosted by Sam Agarwal and Marianna Velozo

Barry Etra worked in Sales and Marketing, Operations, and General Management for manufacturing organizations in the Northeast. He came to Atlanta to be the COO of a plastics manufacturing plant, and then ran the Etra Advisory Group, helping companies and institutions find funding that they couldn’t get traditionally. In 2014 he founded the RAISE Forum in partnership with Emory; they help early-stage companies in the Southeast get senior funding from the Southeast, which helps keep companies here. He has a BA and an MBA from Columbia University. Connect with Barry on LinkedIn.

Keiretsu Forum was founded in 2000 by Randy Williams in the San Francisco Bay Area. With more than 2,500 investor members in 52 chapters on 3 continents, Keiretsu Forum is the world’s largest by-invitation-only angel investor network. Keiretsu Forum membership is comprised of angel investors, venture capitalists, corporate/institutional investors and serial entrepreneurs who provide early-stage capital in the range of $250,000 – $2 million to high-quality, diverse investment opportunities. Keiretsu Forum members collaborate in the due diligence, but make individual investment decisions. For more information, visit www.KeiretsuForum.com. To learn more about the Keiretsu Forum South-East Region visit www.KeiretsuForum-SouthEast.com. You can also follow them on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Sam Agarwal is an Innovative Applications Developer. Sam is the founder and CEO of AppZoro Technologies, Inc. – an experienced team of full-stack mobile app developers and web designers. He holds a BS in Computer Science and is working on his Master’s at Georgia Tech. Sam is an Advisor of Mobile App Technology for the Atlanta Tech Village, one of the U.S. leading co-working space entities located in Atlanta, Georgia.

From concept to market-ready digital product, AppZoro is your single-source for everything from complex programming and database development to payment integrations and front-end design. With AppZoro’s in-house team of Agile Coders and Inventive Designers, you’ll get consistent high-quality work at a startup-friendly price.

Sam is also an experienced businessman. In addition to the work he does with AppZoro, he is Vice President of Sara Hospitality – an international, family-owned furniture manufacturer based in India, serving the US hospitality industry. He has been materially involved since he was 18 and is responsible for procurement, marketing, sales, customer service and finance for the business. In this role, he has learned the key elements of “grind” to build a successful startup.

Through Atlanta Tech Village, and as a private consultant, Sam helps business owners develop sound digital strategies that leverage both current and emerging technologies to increase revenues, streamline productivity, attract investors, and nurture customer relationships. Learn more about Sam and AppZoro on their website, and follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

Barry Etra of Raise Forum and Roger Reak of Stratalli, LLC

October 11, 2016 by angishields

CEO Exclusive Radio

Barry Etra of Raise Forum and Roger Reak of Stratalli, LLC

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Barry Etra / Raise Forum

Barry Etra has over 30 years of business experience, having worked in Sales and Marketing, Operations, and General Management, all with privately-held companies.

He came to Atlanta as the COO of a plastics manufacturing plant. Today, he runs the RAISE Forum (Retention and Advanced Investment for the Southeast at Emory), which is helping to change the face of the early-stage world in the Southeast by helping to fund Southeast companies from Southeast equity lenders.

He has a BA and an MBA from Columbia University; his MBA is in marketing and finance.

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Roger Reak / Stratalli, LLC

With over 30 years of experience in managing companies for success, Roger Reak has presided over 4 successful business turn-arounds, and has developed a methodology that generates exceptional results for companies in trouble and for companies enjoying rapid growth!

Reak has held President or Business Unit/Division Manager positions at 13 different companies including Mitsubishi Electric and National Semiconductor and is a partner and an investor in 3 early stage businesses. He is accredited as a management consultant and is currently working with over 70 companies, helping them to prepare for and find growth funding.

DeKalb Business Radio Spotlights the RAISE Forum at Emory University – Business RadioX

December 18, 2015 by angishields

ATLANTA, GA–(Marketwired – December 18, 2015) – On November 6, 2015, DeKalb Business Radio set up shop at the first ever RAISE (Retention and Advanced Investment for the Southeast at Emory) Forum for investors at Emory University’s Goizueta School of Business. Host Jason Becknell interviewed innovators and thought leaders from around the southeast as they came to DeKalb County to find the millions of dollars they need to grow their brands.

RAISE believes Atlanta can become the next hub for Entrepreneurship and is doing all it can to ensure the success of growing businesses in the Southeast with the highest potential. The Forum was organized to identify the region’s leading entrepreneurs seeking funding. RAISE is working to keep early-stage companies in the Southeast, funding them locally, and building a strong, collaborative culture in the region.

“By coming alongside the best companies to find the right backers, provide training, perfect their presentations, and introduce them to active investors, we’re increasing their chances of success,” explained Dr. Klaas Baks, Executive Director of the Emory Center for Alternative Investments & Associate Professor in the Practice of Finance at Emory University.

During the Forum, the selected entrepreneurs with post-revenue companies presented to the RAISE panel of investors, seeking an investment between $1MM and $5MM and the opportunity to learn from major university and regional business leaders. Negotiations continue to be managed between the presenters and investors as a result of the Forum.

The intention of the RAISE Forum is to bring more resources and coordination to the funding process, establish greater ties in the Southeast for the Southeast, enable more collaboration between government and the process, and create more and better outlets for good companies to get funding. Organizers are planning another RAISE Forum for the Spring and hope to make this a twice a year event at Emory.

To learn more about the RAISE Forum and hear interviews from participants of the event, tune in to DeKalb Business Radio.

About DeKalb Business Radio:

Broadcasting live from beautiful downtown Decatur, DeKalb Business RadioX is the voice of business news in DeKalb County. Each week on DeKalb Business Today, hosts Matt Holms and Jason Becknell interview top business leaders and entrepreneurs to help them get the word out about their businesses and help them connect with other industry leaders. DeKalb Business Today airs on Fridays at 10am Eastern.

About Business RadioX®:

Business RadioX® interviews dozens of innovative entrepreneurs and successful leaders each week. Its mission is to help local businesses Get the Word Out about the important work they’re doing for their market, their community, and their profession. With a pro-business slant and a long-form interview format, guests don’t have to worry about being ambushed or talking in “sound bites.” Guests have enough time to tell their whole story and to share their insights and experience without interruptions. Business RadioX® hosts are business professionals interviewing their peers, drilling down on the critical issues, and delivering practical information to an engaged business audience. Business topics that are frequently covered include: Law, Finance, Healthcare, Technology, Trade Shows, B2B Marketing, Venture Capital, Training and Development and other issues impacting the business community. For more information, visit: https://businessradiox.com.

DeKalb Business Today – RAISE Forum

November 8, 2015 by angishields

Dekalb Business Radio

DeKalb Business Today - RAISE Forum

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On Friday November 6, DeKalb Business Radio set up shop at the first ever RAISE (Retention and Advanced Investment for the Southeast at Emory) Forum for investors at Emory University’s Goizueta School of Business. Host Jason Becknell interviewed innovators and thought leaders from around the southeast as they came to DeKalb County to find the millions they need to grow their brands.

DeKalb Business Today – October 30, 2015

October 31, 2015 by angishields

Dekalb Business Radio

DeKalb Business Today - October 30, 2015

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On this edition of DeKalb Business Today, host Matt Holmes previews the first-ever RAISE (Retention and Advanced Investment for the Southeast at Emory) Forum at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. Forum founder Barry Etra discusses his vision for the investors’ showcase and how it could change the face of commerce across the southeast United States. Presentation coach Steve Brett delves into the mistakes some of these entrepreneurs will need to avoid as they make their multi-million dollar pitches. The RAISE Forum is an invitation-only event taking place on Friday November 6 at Emory University.

Barry Etra/Founder of the RAISE Forum

Barry Etra brings bushels of business experience, having worked in Sales and Marketing, Operations, and General Management. He came to Atlanta as the COO of a plastics manufacturing plant and now he runs the Etra Advisory Group, helping companies and institutions find funding if they can’t get funded traditionally or have been turned down by traditional sources. He serves as an active intermediary in transactions to move deals through and gets them done, often when others have failed. He works on business acquisition, expansion, and refinance; specialty loans; early-stage companies, and nonprofit debt funding. He has a BA and an MBA from Columbia University; his MBA is in marketing and finance. RAISE is his baby and it grows when you grow.

Steve Brett/Founder & Teacher at Presentation Tune-Ups

Steve Brett is a pioneer in digital marketing and website development and has 30-years of experience in marketing, advertising and sales. With Presentation TuneUps, LLC, he is putting all that experience to work for people who have to communicate directly with others, whether it’s an investor pitch, a sales pitch, a training or a TED talk. He built a 4As ad agency in New York City that worked with Fortune 500s as well as local retailers; companies like the New York Stock Exchange, pharmaceutical giant Merck, and an early cellphone company that merged into Verizon. He also helped create the first enterprise web sites for Citizen Watch and Sport Authority. No one’s made more pitches than this guy.

DeKalb Business Today “Lunch Hour” – July 31, 2015

July 31, 2015 by angishields

Dekalb Business Radio

DeKalb Business Today "Lunch Hour" - July 31, 2015

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On the latest edition of DeKalb Business Today, host Matt Holmes talks with two people who are helping businesses and business people to get their message out. Steve Brett joins the show from Presentation Tune-Ups to discuss how he helps companies perfect their pitch from the elevator to the boardroom. Respectful Signage founder Pam McNall discusses how her innovative approach to signs is turning heads in businesses as well as in local schools.

Steve Brett/Founder-Teacher at Presentation Tune-Ups

Steve Brett is a pioneer in digital marketing and website development and a 30-year veteran in the marketing, advertising and sales business.

Now he’s instructing researchers and scientists, policy makers and politicians, teachers, trainers, lawyers, engineers, inventors, entrepreneurs, and business people of all kinds how to tell a better story, design a better deck and deliver a better speech. What makes him qualified?

In the past, he built a 4As ad agency in New York City that worked with Fortune 500s as well as local retailers. Steve has worked with some of the best-known and least-known companies in the world, from the New York Stock Exchange to regional banks; from big Pharma to biotech start-ups; from luxury brands to collectibles. Steve worked with an early cell phone company that merged with Verizon; he built the first website for the Citizen Watch Company; and for the first time, his group offered athletic shoes for sale online for The Sports Authority.

Working with Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, Steve will be the “discipline expert” for The RAISE Forum, which will match growing businesses with senior funding opportunities in order to help create a more collaborative investing climate in the Southeast.

Steve holds a Masters in Teaching from Agnes Scott College and a BA in Literature/Education from The New School in New York. He is currently developing a curriculum for the CDC and he is working on a book.

Pam McNall/Founder & CEO of Respectful Signage

Pam McNall spent 19 years at CNN – starting in the newsroom and working her way up to the documentary unit. She spent 12+ years in the “Special Projects” unit, where most of her award winning experience happened.

Pam’s production work has been rewarded by the Emmys, Peabodys and she’s also won a National Journalism Award.

Pam started her own business five years ago – Let’s Chat Productions LLC, the umbrella company for RespectfulSignage.com.

She designed business and financial plans for start-up companies and started Respectful Signage exactly one year ago.